Spelled in
by Hellsleprechaun
Summary: Stefan is irritated by Damon's over-protectiveness after his return, he is annoyed further when he realises that there's nothing he can do about it.


**This is set after Stefan returns home, after Klaus is dead. Season 3 had not begun when I wrote this so I had no idea what happens to Klaus but this is what I imagine will happen when Stefan goes home.**

**I do not own the vampire diaries, it belongs to L.J Smith and the CW.**

Stefan was glad to be alone in his living room. Since his return the previous day, Damon had been overbearingly over protective. Every time he moved Damon wanted to know what he was doing, where he was going, what he was going to do when he got there. Soon enough he would be demanding to know what Stefan was _thinking_, and why he was thinking it.

The previous night he had even woken up to find Damon seated in the chair under his window, watching him. He got it, Damon was worried his recent feeding habits would cause him to go on a feeding frenzy, but still- it was creepy!

He had been drinking animal blood again since he got home and so far he had not gone insane with thirst. Damon needed to back off.

Damon was currently sleeping, in his own bedroom, so Stefan could now be alone. He'd been back for less than twenty four hours and already Damon was pissing him off.

He plonked himself down onto the plush sofa, but it was useless even though he had some privacy, it was too enclosed. He needed to get out of the house. He headed for the door, with no particular destination in mind.

He yanked open the wooden door eagerly and tried to step outside, _tried _being the key word.

He could not leave through the door, it was like being trapped in the tomb again, he could see outside clearly, it was just that something was blocking him.

He ran to the large windows and shoved them open frantically, although he already had a sinking feeling in his stomach. It was as he suspected, he couldn't get out that way either.

"Ahhh!" he growled in frustration.

"Trying to escape?" An arrogant voice sounded from behind him.

He turned to face Damon with a heavy scowl marring his features.

"Why can't I get out of this house?" His irritation bled into his tone.

"Because I had Bonnie put a spell on the house, you can't leave without my say so."

He valiantly beat down the urge to punch Damon in his smug face, he was fully aware that even with his recent change in diet, Damon would kick his arse.

"Will you let me out then, please." His words may have been polite, but they were spoken through gritted teeth.

"Hmmm…"Damon pretended to think about it, while nodding his head seriously, as though deep in thought." No."

"Why?" Stefan said, not at all liking the whine in his voice.

"I don't know." Damon's tone was leaking with sarcasm. "Maybe because you ran to Klaus, started drinking human blood and killing again and left town with him."

"I saved your life!" Stefan accused.

"Yeah, and I'm grateful, I'm happy to have a second chance with everyone, but you're still not leaving here." Damon stated calmly.

"Why?"

"Because you seem to be willing to sacrifice yourself for everything and everyone!" He was surprised to realise that Damon was angry. "You got yourself trapped in the tomb when Elena went in, you got yourself trapped in another tomb with Katherine to save Jeremy, you tried to switch places with Jenna during Klaus' ritual and then you gave yourself over to Klaus to save me. Need I go on?"

"I'm not a child, Damon. You can't tell me where I can and can't go." Stefan told him, returning to the point of the conversation.

"Well, yes I can actually, as you need my permission to leave here. And you're not because I said so."

"Oh Damon, I forgot I needed to remind you of something. What was it?…..Oh yeah! _You're not my Dad!_"

"Oh, really? You're not a child? Maybe you should stop acting like one!"

"Why are you such a dick?"

"I'm sorry, is my _trying to keep your sorry arse safe ,_being a dick?"

That stopped Stefan in his tracks.

_What?_ Damon was trying to protect him?

He felt a sudden reluctant wave of sympathy for his elder brother, he was not trying to piss him off he was…scared?

He paused for a second, before throwing his arms around Damon in a hug.

Damon froze for a moment, but then returned his little brother's hug tightly.

He was too embarrassed to admit it but…. He was terrified. Throughout the whole of Stefan's time with Klaus, Damon had been haunted with horrifying thoughts of the tortures he could be inflicting upon his little brother. Now that he had Stefan back he was…afraid of losing him again. He knew that he had not always been a wonderful older brother, but he had always done his best to try and protect Stefan, and his inability to had nearly killed him.

Damon hugged his brother even harder, a large part of him not wanting to let go at all.

"So if I stop being a brat can I go out now?" Stefan asked hopefully as he pulled away from Damon, doing his best puppy dog eyes.

Damon laughed as though this was the funniest thing he'd heard all week." You'll be lucky if I let you out the house ever!" Damon continued to chuckle as he ruffled Stefan's hair and poured himself a drink.

**Authors note: Season 2 has just ended and I was wondering what it will be like for Stefan when he gets home. I have also noticed that nobody ever seems to really get mad at Stefan for putting himself into loads of dangerous situations and I think this time they might.**


End file.
